Reference Reviews | January 2014

Towering figures in wine criticism and writing, Johnson and Robinson have updated their atlas to include coverage of up-and-coming areas around the world. Readers will find expanded information on such disparate locales as the Eastern United States, Turkey, South Africa, and China. More than 200 maps, some of which feature topographic detail and climate zones, illustrate the various geographies. The cartographic materials are supplemented with photographs of vineyards and labels representing noteworthy wines for each geographic region. This rich visual content is paired with a comprehensive overview of each region, briefly highlighting its history, production, and wine-making strengths. The writing is at a level many readers will readily grasp and is enlivened by the authors’ opinions on various wines. VERDICT Both an authoritative work and a genuinely enjoyable volume to browse. Highly recommended for large libraries and those with a collection focus on wine.—Peter ­Hepburn, Coll. of the Canyons Lib., Santa Clarita, CA

This second volume in the seriesoffers essays on mythology and traditional literature from “a wide range of periods and cultures.” Forty entries by academics focus on various figures from around the world in six sections: “Birth and Prophecy,” “Trial and Quest,” “The Host of Heroines,” “Myth and Monstrosity,” “The Culture Hero,” and “Surveying Myth and Folklore.” For example, “Birth and Prophecy” discusses the birth of Athena, “Trial and Quest” examines Odysseus and King Arthur, and “Surveying Myth and Folklore” considers American Indian trickster tales. Artemis, Moses, and Harry Potter are among the many heroes/heroines covered. Each essay consists of an overview, a summary, analysis, a discussion of cross-cultural influence (e.g., how the figure of Medusa influenced both Sylvia Plath and May Sarton), and either a text box of historical context or a discussion of how myth has been made into art. Each chapter ends with its own bibliography. Other notables include the Queen of Sheba and Quetzalcoatl, with less familiar topics such as Qutulun (Mongol princess) and Tomoe Gozen (female samurai warrior) providing intrigue. The title also features maps (ancient Greece, Mesopotamia) accompanied by charts listing mythological figures. There is a general index plus country/culture and chronological indexes. A sample lesson plan provides a good starting point for teachers. VERDICT This valuable resource, which will engage students and encourages thought, is useful for high school and undergraduate students for papers, projects, and class discussions.—Barbara Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO

Grant (Masters of Animation) compiles 3,250 movie entries that touch on the many aspects of film noir. Arranged in alphabetical order by title, they include year; country; running time; main cast, director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer; and whether they are in black and white or color. Each entry features a short synopsis (sometimes with plot spoilers) and generally brief commentary. This book extends the parameters of traditional noir (Out of the Past; Double Indemnity) by including films that are usually considered in other genres. Comedies (Hot Fuzz and In Bruges), police procedurals (The French Connection and Se7en), and action films (The Bourne Identity and The Terminator) are examined. The uniting factor is a dark perspective and the idea of fate “which can seem…almost like an extra cast member.” Bertolucci’s Il Conformista (The Conformist), Wenders’s Der Amerikanische Freund, aka The American Friend, based on Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley’s Game) and many other international films are covered. Titles are listed in their original language and then in English. Some older series are featured, such as Dead End Kids, Boston Blackie,and Edgar Wallace Mysteriesbut oddly, not Sherlock Holmes or Charlie Chan. Hitchcock films, which are suspense thrillers, are along for the ride with Vertigo and Rear Window, among others. The select bibliography offers more opportunities for finding out about the subject. This is a quirky mixed genre bag of noir in its many forms. If you shelve it near the DVDs, it will be helpful for movie advisory. VERDICT A solid current source for quick information.—Barbara Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO

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